Interesting clay cracker competition in Hai Duong

Clay cracker is a folk game with a long history and deep meaning, showing the martial spirit of a nation with thousand years of history.

Regardless of levels of organization, clay cracker competition is always attractive and special for viewers of all ages.

Recently, a competition has been held in Phuc Lam village, Minh Duc commune, Tu Ky district, Hai Duong province, attracting 90 competitors and hundreds of visitors. The competition was organized after two years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and in celebration of the April 30 - May 1 holidays.

The People’s Army Newspaper Online would like to introduce several photos of this exciting competition.

Legend has it that clay crackers in Hai Duong first appeared in the era of the Trung Sisters. At that time, General Le Chan ordered her the soldiers to make big clay crackers and their loud noise scared invaders from the North. And clay cracker competition has been kept until today.

Collected clay is filtered, and kneaded according to the secret of each locality. Three experienced people are in charge of making a clay cracker.

Each clay cracker weighs 50 to 70kg depending on the weight of the person hurling it.

When the cracker is completed, five other people join hands to raise it.

The player has to stand with feet shoulder-width apart, put force on knees, close two armpits, and use the force of his arms to spread the cracker before hurling it. To make a good hurling, the player must have good fitness and experience.

Audiences and teammates cheer the player. They have to stand far from the player. Each time the cracker hits the ground, a loud noise like thunder is made.

The referee measures the cracker’s edge torn apart to decide the winner.

The cracker is collected after being hurled. Players knead other crackers for the next rounds. A competition has five rounds, each round lasts 40 minutes. Competitors have a 30-minute break after three rounds.

This year, 90 players participate in the competition. Each player has their name on a plate and in a notebook. Before hurling a cracker, the referee gives the player their name plate and shirt number.

Nguyen Van Thanh (wearing a scarf) is among the best players of Phuc Lam village. His hurled cracker has an edge of an average length of 3.2m.

Apart from Minh Duc commune in Tu Ky district, in other districts, such as Gia Loc and Ninh Giang, in Hai Duong province and Northern provinces such as Hai Phong, Thai Binh, clay crackers have become a traditional game during festivals, including the lunar New Year. It is believed that the louder noise the cracker makes, the more bumper crops farmers get.

Translated by Chung Anh